Attorney Norwood Wilner of Jacksonville, FL; greedy schemer

The state of Florida presented Norwood Sherman Wilner with a law license in 1976 after he graduated from the University of Florida Law School.

In one matter, Norwood was involved in prosecuting the federal Engle cigarette makers cases beginning in 2008. After a $100 million settlement with the cigarette makers closed the judicial book for the litigants, the court could not conclude the matter without holding several law firms and their attorneys to account for their “immense waste of judicial resources and contempt shown for the judicial process.” (Nathan Hale)

Subsequently, the Court appointed a U.S. Attorney as special master to investigate whether attorneys from The Wilner Firm and Farah & Farah violated Federal Rules by pursuing 588 personal injury complaints for dead plaintiffs and 572 where the plaintiff never responded to a court questionnaire. In addition, there were 15 cases filed that were unauthorized, 18 on behalf of persons who were not smokers; 36 where the plaintiff or decedent never lived in Florida; and 28 cases that had already been tried.

In its sanction order the Court stated in part:

“With the litany of litigation abuses recited here, the court could never, in good conscience, sanction another lawyer in the future for failing to investigate a single claim if counsel’s failure here to investigate hundreds of actions were to be passed over.”

The Court then imposed a monetary sanction of $9.1 million against the Wilner and Farah firms and their partners. In addition, the also decided to impose a public reprimand against Mr. Wilner and Mr. Farah to the Florida Bar for investigation of whether they violated rules against pursuing lawsuits lacking factual basis and knowingly making false statements to a court.

In addition to the monetary penalty, the court also decided to impose a public reprimand, which it said would be accomplished by the publishing of the order, and it referred Wilner and Farah to the Florida Bar for investigation of whether they violated rules against pursuing lawsuits lacking factual basis and knowingly making false statements to a court.

All that’s left now is to see what if any punishment is meted out to Norwood by the enablers and apologists for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Florida Supreme Court.

As we speak (ca. December 2017), Norwood practices with The Wilner Firm PA at 444 East Duval Street in Jacksonville, Florida.